


Refugee

by Merfilly



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 18:41:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6340837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Yavin is being cleared out, an old Republic ship comes with just one person aboard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Refugee

**Author's Note:**

> Plays with a tumblr theory I saw about Ahsoka's possible fate.

They hadn't yet cleared out of Yavin IV when the solo ship, an old model from the Republic, came into airspace, requesting to land. It was such an unusual occurrence that Princess Leia was contacted, along with the other leaders. Luke scrambled out in his X-Wing, Wedge flying wingman for him, to escort the vessel down.

That tickle in the back of his mind was strong, the one that said the Force was talking, but it didn't feel apprehensive. There was an expectancy, and he had a hard time staying in his cockpit, watching as the pilot disembarked. They were not too tall, but the cloak they wore (so like Ben's) hid their features completely.

Leia, with Chewie and Han, came out to meet them, both men with blaster and bowcaster ready.

"This is the Rebellion, yes, those who destroyed that nightmare?" the hooded person called in a voice that might be feminine for many species.

"We don't usually advertise it but yes," Leia said, a feeling in her guts that this person was neither a threat nor someone to disregard. The person raised hands up and pushed the cloak back, revealing a quite feminine Togruta there.

"My name is Ahsoka Tano, and I wish to help," she said in a quiet voice. She did not look very healthy, gaunt for her species, and her colors somewhat faded. "I recently escaped, in the confusion that the Imperial Fleet was suffering. That —" and she waved at the ancient ship behind her, "was all I could steal from the shipyard. I'm afraid it is not worth more than scrap."

"You realize this sounds very convenient, and you will likely be thought of as a spy?" Leia asked her.

A quiet smile graced the woman's lips. "I would hope the Rebellion was at least that cautious."

"Skywalker, Antilles, it's clear," Leia said into her comm unit, but her eyes were on the woman, and she saw as the colors faded even further at her words.

"Skywalker?" Her breathing was rapid, and Leia moved before Han could protest, helping the woman support herself with a hand under her elbow.

"Hero of the battle here," Han said, to make it sound as intimidating as he could.

"A Skywalker would be a hero, when all things are right in the galaxy," Ahsoka said seriously. She then pulled free of Leia, looking at her closely. "I knew Anakin Skywalker," she said, watching for the reaction.

"I'd heard he was a hero of the Republic," Leia told her, "but the pilot that told me that died in the attack on the Death Star."

Han and Chewie kept their guard up, while Wedge added cover from a different angle. Luke, however walked right up to Leia and the stranger. 

His senses were buzzing; this woman felt so much like Ben. "I'm Luke Skywalker," he said, keeping his voice in that friendly, know-no strangers tone that had Han despairing of ever teaching him to be wary. The Togruta looked him over, head to toe, taking in the lightsaber he wore clipped to his flightsuit. She had to take several deep breaths, and then she smiled at him.

"You carry your father's lightsaber," she said, knowing that hilt as well as she knew her own skin. He looked absolutely dumbstruck, and had no words.

"Inside, all of us. Wedge… can you handle Luke's X-Wing, prepping it for evac?" Leia called.

"Yes, Princess. I can do that," the other pilot said. "Luke, I'll have Artoo stay in, if you don't mind?"

"That's fine; we should be scramming pretty soon," Luke said, but his eyes stayed on the woman.

Leia guided them all in, knowing they needed to finalize evac; their breathing room was getting very slim.

"Tano, you'll have to fly out with me," Leia told her. "I can debrief you in flight… if you're serious about trying to help us."

Chewie made a small noise, and Han looked up at him, face screwing up in surprise.

"What?!" He then looked at Leia. "Chewie said he vouches for her."

Ahsoka looked over at Chewbacca, and a smile lit her tired, gaunt features. "Thank you, Chewbacca."

Not a one of them failed to catch that she used his full name, when Han had only used the nickname.

* * *

They were at another temporary base, Luke and Leia seated with Mon Mothma and Ahsoka Tano. The stately elder woman had also, with reservations based on potential mind-tampering, vouched for the Togruta.

"We thought you were dead, with all the others," Mon Mothma said softly.

"I wasn't at the Temple, when it burned," she answered that, hands wrapped around a cup of kaf. "I'd… left the Order, for personal reasons. I wish…"

Mon Mothma reached out and placed a hand on her arm. "No, Ahsoka Tano, you cannot fall into the trap of what could have been. You are here now."

Ahsoka bowed her head, then looked at Luke. "Who trained you?"

"Ben Kenobi… Obi-Wan, that is," he said. She flinched, and he worried he'd hurt her somehow. 

"I did not know he survived," she said softly. 

"You were a Jedi?" Leia asked.

"Only a padawan learner," Ahsoka said. "Something happened that made me choose to leave. Before Darth Vader destroyed the Order."

Luke heard something not quite right in her words, but she was looking at him, a wordless plea in her eyes. He let it go; maybe she would tell him alone, later. "Ben died on the Death Star," he said sadly. "Buying us time to escape."

Ahsoka nodded. "I would have felt him by now, if he were with you. I knew him well, once long ago, when he was a general. I was supposed to be his to teach, but I was assigned to Master Skywalker instead." She gave a small, sad smile. "He used to say I never would have made it with Obi-Wan, but I did fine for him."

"I'd like to hear more," Luke told her. "And… I have no teacher now."

She took a deep breath. She then sat up straight, and slowly nodded at the unspoken question. "I can teach what I know."

Mon Mothma nodded to that, and the others relaxed some. If Luke was working with her, they would know of betrayal swiftly… and if she was being honest, with no hidden traps, the last Jedi would grow stronger in the Force.


End file.
